But while Bale was innocent on this ­occasion, Spurs were lucky that striker Jermain Defoe escaped a yellow card for a blatant dive just before half-time.

If Defoe had been booked, he, too, would have faced an automatic one-match ban for collecting five bookings this season.

AVB insisted that Welsh winger Bale is now a victim of his own reputation and his ­blistering pace, which took him past ­Sunderland defender Craig Gardner.

The Tottenham manager (below) said : “It’s a big ­mistake from the referee. Sometimes ­reputations are ­created unfairly in the media and it’s a bit unfair.

“Gardner does not focus on the ball, he goes to the player and clips him. It’s extremely ­unfair he misses the Reading game for such a big mistake.

“It looks like persecution,” Villas-Boas ­admitted. “Jermain Defoe did a dive in the first half and the referee didn’t do anything. The speed they go at, these are difficult situations for the referee to analyse.”

But even though the ref made a ­mistake on the Bale booking, there is no right of appeal.

AVB accepted: “There isn’t anything we can do, we have to let it go. Gareth is very ­frustrated, referees have come to our training ground and we have spoken to them.

“Gareth acknowledged it is difficult for them, but this was a big ­mistake. We have to give some comfort to the player because he is being chased now and it isn’t deserved.” Bale had no doubts either that Atkinson had missed the contact by Gardner, which saw the ­Sunderland man’s knee hit the back of the Spurs player’s knee.

Matthew Lewis

Andre Villas-Boas: "I think it is completely unfair"

Bale, now booked three times for simulation this season, said: “It’s the same thing every time. It’s the third time this season where I’ve been clipped and I’ve been booked for no ­reason again and it’s just one of those things.

“I think the referees need to have to look a bit closer. It’s not something I’m doing, it’s people think I’m diving when there’s actually contact. If there is contact, then it is a penalty or a free-kick, so I can’t do anything about it.

“If there is contact, then I’ll fall over. What do you expect me to do? Hit my head on the floor. I put my hands down to protect myself. If people keep kicking me, I’m not going to stop going over because it’s a foul. I know I was fouled today.”

Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill has been warned that “it is completely impossible” for him to buy England under-21 left back Danny Rose from Spurs.

Villas-Boas delivered the devastating news just minutes after the Black Cats’ defeat.

O’Neill had made Rose – on a season’s loan at the Stadium of Light – his No.1 target for the January transfer window.

But AVB has made it clear that Rose is not for sale at any price.

Of Sunderland’s bid for a permanent move for Rose, AVB said: “That is ­completely ­impossible, we have big ­expectations for the player. He has a future with us.

“There is a strong possibility his loan spell will continue, we appreciate what he has been doing here, it has been a massive experience and he is being very well managed.

“We appreciate his qualities, he is a ­product of our Academy, he is a homegrown player and he will come back to Tottenham.”

AVB’s stance will be a blow to O’Neill, but he is relieved that Rose’s loan spell, which had a recall clause for January, will now run until the end of the season.

The Black Cats’ boss said: “It’s good news. Hopefully, we now have him until the end of the season. We will see what ­happens after that.”

O’Neill added: “We kept going against Spurs until the end and they showed today they are a very good side.

“The players’ ­confidence is better and, after three wins, they are not so afraid about ­playing at home.”